2022 Best of the South 15U Standouts
ATLANTA, GA—The 15U division at Best of the South always has guys that go on to become heralded recruits nationally. We’re talking top 100 or even top 50 guys. While time will tell who from this year’s BOTS will ascend to those heights, these are some of the names who stood out to the HoopSeen staff from the weekend.
In the 15U Gold championship game, Batemon was certainly the most outstanding player. He helped break the game wide open for Power 5 right from the get-go and allowed them to cruise to a decisive victory with his 19-point first half. Batemon connected for six 3-pointers in the half and showed plenty of upside as a scorer. Right now, he’s a lengthy 6-foot-3 SG, but he has the look of a guy that has plenty of growing left in the tank. With his scoring prowess already as lethal as it is, Batemon could be drawing plenty of attention from coaches at events like Best of the South in the future. Jot his name down in your notes. - Josh Tec
I can say that this Greater Purpose team was one of the best surprise discoveries for the HoopSeen staff this weekend. We hadn’t gotten to see this group before, and they certainly left an impression. 6-foot-2 guard Gus Donohue was one of the names we left remembering partly due to his hand in helping topple the 15U favorites in Monarchs Elite Ontario. Donohue poured in 14 points in the win and knocked down four 3-pointers. - Josh Tec
Westerdale is an absolute killer. He consistently frustrated opposing coaches because of their team’s inability to stop him from scoring. From the 3-point line, he’s lights out. Go ahead and just assume that he’ll knock a couple down from the perimeter. Time and time again, Westerdale got by his man and converted easy layups at the rim. He helped lead The Academy to the 15U Platinum division championship, and I don’t think that’s the last championship he’ll win in his basketball career. While it’s early, he looks like a guy who could lead a college team to a conference championship at some point. - Josh Tec
Playing up with the 15-and-under, the 2026 prospect, yes, 2026, is going to be another one of the plethora of recruits out of the Fayetteville, North Carolina area. Already 6-foot-5 and boasting a size 19 shoe, Caldwell has tremendous footwork for his age and size. He has a soft-touch around the rim and he is a reliable defender. Caldwell is going to be a guy that we will hear his name a lot more in the future as he continues to grow into his body and as things start to come all come together. Judging by this past week, it is coming along fast. - Justin Byerly
Without hyperbole, this is one of the highest-upside players that was at Best of the South. Ahrens is a small forward that’s around 6-foot-9 with terrific ball skills and feet. Guys with his build shouldn’t be able to do the things he can do at this age, but Ahrens operates smoothly with the ball in his hands both around the basket and as an offensive initiator. I’ll say this with all underclassmen, there’s no need to rush into big proclamations about younger players, but Ahrens has a chance to be really special with continued work. We could look back at this Best of the South and reminisce about seeing him in the 15U division for the first time - Josh Tec
